(Portugal vs Croatia Match Result) – On a day when Cristiano Ronaldo did not play, the Portuguese national team faced a defeat against Croatia in their final friendly match before Euro 2024.

On the evening of June 8th and early morning of June 9th, Portugal hosted Croatia in their last friendly match to prepare for Euro 2024. This match saw Cristiano Ronaldo sitting on the bench for the entire 90 minutes, as the 39-year-old forward had just joined the team after the end-of-season break. Ronaldo was reportedly not in top physical condition to play.

Home advantage did not help Portugal perform better against Croatia. The home team even made a mistake leading to a penalty opportunity for Luka Modric. The Real Madrid star did not miss the chance, breaking the deadlock in the 8th minute.

Despite controlling possession for the remainder of the first half, Roberto Martinez’s team failed to create any significant threats due to Croatia’s solid defense. Portugal’s powerful offense struggled and remained ineffective. It wasn’t until the second half that Portugal managed to equalize.

In the 48th minute, Bernardo Silva passed the ball to Nelson Semedo on the wing. The defender made a precise cross, allowing Diogo Jota, who had just come on at the start of the second half, to easily tap the ball into an empty net.

It seemed like the equalizer would give Portugal the momentum, but goalkeeper Diogo Costa had to pick the ball out of his net for the second time.

In the 56th minute, Diogo Costa made a remarkable save from a volley, but the ball hit the crossbar and fell to Ante Budimir. Budimir quickly capitalized on the rebound, heading the ball past the Porto goalkeeper. Falling behind again left Portugal disoriented.

They couldn’t control the midfield and faced constant threats from Croatia’s counter-attacks. If Croatia had been more fortunate, they could have scored a third goal. Losing 1-2 in a disappointing fashion with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, Martinez’s team had an unideal preparation before Euro 2024.

**Match Details:**

Portugal 1 – 2 Croatia

Date: 08.06.2024, 23:45

**Player Ratings:**

1. Diogo Costa – 6: Made some crucial saves but couldn’t prevent both goals.
2. Diogo Dalot – 5: Struggled defensively and offered little going forward.
3. Ruben Dias – 6: Solid but couldn’t organize the defense well enough.
4. Goncalo Inacio – 5: Made several mistakes, including one that led to the penalty.
5. Nuno Mendes – 6: Provided some attacking runs but was defensively exposed.
6. Joao Palhinha – 6: Worked hard but couldn’t control the midfield.
7. Vitinha – 5: Ineffective in creating chances.
8. Bernardo Silva (C) – 7: The only bright spot with an assist.
9. Goncalo Ramos – 4: Failed to make an impact, no shots on target.
10. Joao Felix – 5: Struggled to find space and create opportunities.
11. Nelson Semedo – 7: Provided a crucial assist, solid performance.

Substitutes:
1. Diogo Jota – 7: Scored the only goal for Portugal.
2. Joao Cancelo – 6: Brought energy but couldn’t change the outcome.
3. Rafael Leao – 5: Failed to make a significant impact.
4. Matheus Nunes – 5: Came on late, had little time to influence the game.
5. Pedro Neto – 6: Provided some attacking threat but no end product.

Coach:
Roberto Martinez – 5: Tactical decisions questioned, especially with Ronaldo on the bench.

**Summary:**

Portugal’s final friendly before Euro 2024 ended in a disappointing 1-2 loss to Croatia. Without Ronaldo, the team struggled to find the back of the net and looked disjointed defensively. The upcoming Euro campaign will require significant improvement if Portugal hopes to compete at the highest level.